Washer unit



Sept. 25, 1962' E. LJALFORD WASHER UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 7, 1957 EMRA L. flLFOR/J ATTORNEY E. L. ALFORD Sept. 25, 1962 WASHER UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 7, .1957

3 av wm m Sept. 25, 1962 E. L. ALFORD 3,0553 78 WASHER UNI T Filed Jan. '7. 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVE NTOR EMRA L. FILFORD J W M AT TORNEY trite States 3,55,378 Patented Sept. 25, 1952 f 1 fine 3,655,378 WASHER UNET Ernra L. Alford, 327 3 Lynde St, Oakland, Calif. Filed Jan. 7, 1957, Ser. No. 632,745 2 Claims. -(Cl. 134186) The invention relates to washers, and more particularly to industrial washers which are particularly adapted for a washing and sterilizing treatment of elements of dairy equipment.

In various manufacturing industries involving the use or handling of liquids, the elements of the apparatus used are frequently subject to acquiring coatings of materials which must be periodically removed, this being generally true in the dairy industry in which milkstone deposits occur on apparatus parts which contact the product and must be removed before deleterious physical and bacteriological diificulties can arise on the parts. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a washer for the foregoing type of articles in which I sterilization is performa-ble during a complete cleaning operation which may be followed by a rinsing operation in the same vessel.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a thorough and forcible contact of detergent and rinsing liquids with all surfaces of an article in the washer, whereby to generally avoid any necessity for subsequent cleaning operations with respect to the article.

A further object is to provide a washing unit of the character described in which a relatively large number or articles may be simultaneously cleaned with equal thoroughness.

An added object is to provide such a liquid supply-jet and circulation system for the cleaning liquid provided that a high and substantially uniform degree of liquid turbulence is provided and maintained in the entire working space of the washer tank.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of typical embodiments thereof, and in the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a washer embodying the features of my invention, portions of the tank of the washer being broken away for disclosing certain details thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the washer of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation at the broken line 3-3 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a partly sectional fragmentary elevation taken from the liquid-input end of the tank.

FIGURE 5 is a partly sectional fragmentary elevation of the washer taken from the liquid-discharge end of the tank.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a liquid-input nozzle of the washer.

FIGURE 7 is an axial section of the nozzle of FIG- URE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic showing of the liquidcirculating arrangement used in the washer tank of FIG- URES 1 to 7 inclusive.

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of a modified form of the washer.

FIGURE 10 is a plan section taken at the line 9-9 in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken at the line 1111 in FIGURE 9.

For illustrating my invention, the features thereof are particularly shown as associated with a horizontally elongated open-topped tank or trough 15 providing a horizontally elongated rectangular basin or washing space 16 between upright longitudinal sides 17 and 1S and ends 19 and 20, all rising from a more-or-less fiat bottom 21. The present tank ends 19 and 20 are cylindrically concave-convex about horizontal axes, and bow outwardly with respect to the washing space 16. The tank 15 is shown as supported on a set of depending legs 22 fixed to it at appropriately spaced side points along its length and provided with floor-engaging feet 23 which are threadedly engaged within the leg bottoms to provide for an adjusted support of the tank with reference to an uneven fioor while also providing for an adjustment of the position of the tank bottom 21 with respect to the horizontal whereby the tank bottom may be level or be slightly lower at a drain connection 24 provided adjacent the end 19 thereof and including a valve 25.

Intermediately of the height thereof, the tank end 19 mounts a nozzle 26 for the longitudinal discharge of liquid into the tank therefrom. A longitudinally disposed manifold pipe 27 terminally discharges at the nozzle 26, extends longitudinally along the tank side 17 externally thereof, and supplies a series of mutually spaced jet nozzles 28 sealedly extending through the side wall 17 into the tank space 16, while a similar manifold pipe 29 extends along the other tank side 18 at the level of the pipe 27 and supplies jet nozzles 36 sealedly extending through the wall 18; as shown, the nozzles 23 and 30 are each five in number and are mutually staggered along the dif ferent basin sides. The arrangement is essentially such that the various nozzles 26 and 28 and 30 jointly discharge a suitable quantity of liquid into the tank toward its end 20 in a manner to create a forcible and turbulent fiow of the liquid toward the intake ends of outlet pipes 31 and 32 which, with the manifold pipes 27 and 29 included in a pumping system by which the cleaning liquid may be fed and recirculated to the nozzles 26 and 28 and 30 at substantially the same discharge pressure.

As particularly illustrated, the circulation of the cleaning liquid is arranged to be effected by pumps 33 and 34 which are arranged to effect a pressure discharge of the circulated liquid to the manifold pipes 27 and 29 respectively, with said pumps receiving the liquid at atmospheric pressure from the pipes 31 and 32 which are connected with the tank space at the tank end 20 at the level of the tank bottom 21. The pipes 31 and 32 respectively lead to the intake connections for thedifferent pumps 33 and 34 which are arranged for actuation by electric motors 35 and 36 at appropriate working rates for delivering the liquid at desired like discharge pressures to the different sets of jet nozzles through the manifold pipes 27 and 29. As particularly indicated, the pump and motor assemblies are supported on a common base 37 unitarily carried by and between the frame legs 22.

It will now be noted that the discharge nozzle 26 at the extremity of the manifold pipe 27 is formed to provide a symmetrically divided stream having its parts directed obliquely forwardly and laterally toward the different tank sides 17 and 18 in mutually symmetrical reference to a vertical plane through the longitudinal tank axis. As is particularly brought out in FIGURES 6 to 7, the nozzle 26 comprises a tubular base portion 38 which is arranged for its mounting on the end of the pipe 27 by telescopically and complementarily receiving the end of said pipe on which it is replaceably fixed by means of a set-screw 33' engaged through it. A liquid stream entering the bore of the nozzle 26 from the supply pipe 27 is arranged to be discharged from the nozzle in a vertically divided stream by reason of the projection of the stream against the point end of a wedge-shaped spreader extension 39 of the tubular nozzle base 38, which extension has its central plane upright and including the axis of said base and extending diametrically across the discharge end of the base.

The extension 39 has angularly related side faces extending from the rearward point edge 41 of the extension which is integrally connected to the base 38 at the ends of said edge; as shown, the wall of the base 38 is outwardly thickened opposite the inner corners of the extension 39 whereby the unitary nozzle 26 has a particularly rigid one-piece construction. The extension side faces have fiat outer portions 48 which make equal angles a approximately fifteen degrees with the nozzle plane (FIGURE 7) and have minor flat inner portions 40 thereof extending from the edge 41 and making somewhat larger angles than the faces 48 with said plane. Essentially, the installed nozzle 26 is arranged to direct like portions of the liquid supplied therethrough obliquely forwardly toward the different tank sides in the common plane of the upper side nozzles 28 and 38 as a primary means to urge the flow of a charge of liquid in the basin toward its other end.

It will now be particularly noted that jets of liquid discharged from the opposite tank sides by the mutually staggered nozzles 28 and 38 are directed solely in oblique forward relations to the longitudinal tank axis; as particularly indicated in FIGURES l and 3 and and 8, the forwardly directed discharge lines of the jets from the side nozzles make angles b of the order of forty-five degrees with the longitudinal tank axis, while they are depressed to make angles c of about five degrees below the horizontal. With the present specific jet-discharge arrangement including the divided jet from the nozzle 26, a particularly thorough and complete application of a basin-carried charge of a cleaning liquid against objects disposed therein for their cleaning is provided through creating a forcible and spirally rotating turbulence of effectively con. stant strength created across and along the entire tank length by the successive mutually staggered and forwardly directed jet-produced pressures provided in the charge, whereby all surfaces of articles of various shape, as the elements of a cream separator, deposited in the tank charge for cleaning may be subjected to substantially the same effective working application of the cleaning or rinsing liquid.

With particular reference to the aforesaid turbulent washing action provided in the tank of the present washer, it will be noted that the convex tank ends 19 and 20 are effective to so deflect and absorb any longitudinal surges of the liquid against them that the liquid does not escape over them. Also, the turbulent washing action intermediately of the tank is not such as will normally cause a discharge of liquid over the tank sides, whereby a cover for the tank is not usually needed, and the progress of the cleaning operations is constantly observable. The present arrangement for maintaining a substantially constant contained impact application to workpieces disposed in the tank 15 of the cleaning liquid throughout the full length of the tank provides a high-efficiency operation for insuring a cleaning of a plurality of workpiece articles placed in difierent locations along the tank through the turbulence created by the combined actions of the jets discharged from the nozzles and 28 by reason of their mutual coaction within the tank space. Accordingly, the geometric and spacial relations involved in the present washer are of particular interest as insuring a complete cleaning operation which eliminates any need for finishing hand-work upon the article workpieces.

When the tank 15 has been drained with its drain pipe 24 closed at the valve 25 and workpieces have been placed in the basin '16, the cleaning liquid may be supplied to the tank through mutually spaced inwardly-directed nozzles 42 provided on the tank sides in a common plane above the plane of the manifold pipes 27 and 29. As brought out in FIGURES 1 and 2 and 5, it will be noted that nozzles 42 extend from a manifold pipe 43 having branch portions thereof extending along the tank sides beneath the tank rim and connected through a suitable three-way valve 44 with supply pipes 45 and 46 for optionally providing hot water or steam at the nozzles 42. When the present washer is to be utilized, it is supplied with an initial charge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzles 42 to fill the pumping circuits and the tank to a desired tank level, after which steam may be supplied from the pipe 46 at a suitable rate and temperature for providing and maintaining the charge of liquid in the tank at a desired temperature, the temperature of the supplied liquid being ascertained by reference to an indicating thermometer 47 provided in the unbranched portion of the manifold pipe 43 beyond the valve 44. A detergent and/ or disinfectant to be used in the liquid may be added directly to the tank charge over its side or be provided with the initially supplied washing liquid from the pipe 45. For rinsing articles in the tank, it is merely necessary to drain the tank through the drain valve 25 and then supply the necessary fresh cleaning liquid through the nozzle 42 for its pumped circulation through the workpiece articles in the tank in the described manner.

The washer unit of the embodiment of FIGURES 9 to 11 inclusive has been particularly designed for use in cleaning elongated articles such as the tubes or pipes of coolers and similar industrial apparatus, and the features of the present washer are provided in connection with an elongated rectangular tank 55 having its basin space 56 defined between sides 57 and 58, ends 59 and 60, and a horizontal bottom 61. The tank 55 is supported on legs 62 depending from the tank bottom and intermediately supporting a platform 63 carrying a reversible circulating pumping unit 64. The tank ends 59 and are of a similar tapered shape of rectangular crosssection and taper outwardly and obliquely downwardly to connections near the level of the basin bottom with the ends of pipes and 66 which extend from the pumping unit 64 mounted on the platform '63 and interposed between horizontal and mutually aligned lower portions of the pipes 65 and 66 which have normally closed depending drain branches 67 and 68 respectively interposed therein and providing traps for solids when closed.

As particularly illustrated, the liquid-circulating pumping unit 64 comprises an electric motor 71 having its shaft directly connected to a centrifugal pump 72 which has an axial intake connection 73 and a radial discharge connection 74. The pump intake 73 is connected by the arms of a T 75 with pipes 77 and 78 which are in turn respectively connected at Ts 79 and 80 with the pipes 65 and 66, and the pipes 77 and 78 respectively have shutoff valves 81 and 82 interposed therein. The pump discharge 74 is connected through a T 84 with pipes 85 and 86 which are connected with the Ts 79 and 80 respectively and have valves '87 and 88 interposed therein.

The described connections providable for the pump 72 between the pipes 65 and 66 are essentially such that a cleansing or rinsing liquid may be circulated through the washing basin in mutually reversed directions by appropriately conditioning the valves 81 and 82 and 87 and 88 of the described pipe connections of the flow circuit of the same pump which is operable in the circuit. Thus, with the valves 81 and 88 closed and the valves 82 and 87 open, the pump 72 will deliver liquid to the pipe 65 while receiving liquid through the pipe 66, whereby to provide the working flow of the liquid from the tank end 59 to the tank end 60. On the other hand, if the valves 82 and 87 are closed while the valves 81 and 88 are open, the liquid will be delivered from the operating pump at the tank end 60 for its flow through the tank to the other tank end 59.

Liquid and/or steam may be supplied to the basin of the present tank 55 from mutually spaced nozzles 91 provided along the tank sides intermediately of their height and connected with branches of a manifold pipe 92 connected with the source of the fluid to be supplied, said manifold pipe being suitably connected with sources of 75 liquid and/ or steam as is the pipe 43 of the previously described embodiment. It will be understood that during a use of the present washer, the single pump unit operating in a constant direction circulate a liquid through the tank basin in either end-to-end direction by causing the described different simultaneous conditionings of the four valves 81 and 82 and 87 and 88, each of said valves being preferably arranged to be automatically controlled electro-magnetically by an indicated timing device 93'. As previously noted, the present washer has been particularly designed for use in the surface cleaning of more or less elongated rigid articles, and a complete surface cleaning of such articles may be effected by operatively reversing the forcible flow of a suitable detergent liquid through and along the articles in the tank basin.

In general reference to the two disclosed washer units embodying features of my present invention, it will be clear that a maximum and particularly effective contact of a detergent or rinsing liquid with workpieces in the washer is provided for. It will therefore be understood that the present washers accomplish the herein stated and other useful objects of their design which is particularly directed to, but not limited to, washing machines for cleaning the parts of dairy and creamery equipment, with the first embodiment being generally more effective with respect to shorter articles and the reversible second embodiment being more useful for the cleaning of the exteriors and interiors of longer pipes and other tubular articles.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the present washer unit will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have shown and described a structure and arrangement which I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of my invention, -I desire to have it understood that the showings are primarily illustrative, and that such changes and developments may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a washer for rigid workpiece articles of liquidimpervious and relatively heavy material, a horizontally elongated tank providing an open-topped substantially horizontal basin of uniform cross-section fixedly receiving the articles within a submerging charge of cleansing liquid therein, two sets of nozzles at different horizontal planes for introducing a cleansing liquid into said basin, said nozzles being disposed at mutually staggered spaced points of the opposite basin sides and being directed angularly toward the same basin end in corresponding inward and downward relation to the longitudinal line of the basin, the jets from the nozzles being constantly cooperative with the liquid charge to effect a turbulent and forcible impact of the charge against all exposed surfaces of the articles in the basin, and a means for constantly supplying the liquid to the nozzles at a jet-providing pressure.

2. In a surface washer for rigid workpiece articles of liquid-impervious and relatively heavy material, a horizontally elongated tank providing a horizontally disposed opentopped basin of uniform cross-section supportedly receiving the articles in fixed position therein, nozzles for introducing an article-immersing charge of a cleansing liquid into said basin, said nozzles being disposed at mutually staggered spaced points of the opposite basin sides and being correspondingly directed toward the same basin end and generally toward the longitudinal line of the basin in lines which define acute angles of the order of fortyfive degrees with a vertical plane through said longitudinal basin line and are directed downwardly to define acute angles of the order of five degrees with the horizontal, the jets from the nozzles being constantly cooperative with the liquid charge to provide a turbulent liquid flow of the charge toward said basin end to effect a substantially uniform and forcible impact of the supplied liquid against all exposed surfaces of the articles in the basin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 663,452 Maertens Dec. 11, 1900 935,201 Hallauer Sept. 28, 1909 1,706,938 Roberts Mar. 26, 1929 1,783,194 McConnell Dec. 2, 1930 1,945,922 Stebler Feb. 6, 1934 1,960,392 Ormsbee May 29, 1934 2,198,792 Erickson Apr. 23, 1940 2,255,859 Quigley Sept. 16, 1941 2,537,904 McAllister Jan. 9, 1951 2,541,901 Zademach Feb. 13, 1951 2,852,313 Mickel Sept. 16, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 361,049 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1931 449,650 Great Britain Aug. 13, 19 5 

